Introduction

The 1982 Visit

In the summer of 1982 His Holiness Pope John Paul II travelled to Great Britain for a historic six day tour that saw him greet and bless hundreds of thousands of people at 16 different venues in England, Wales and Scotland. It was the first time that a pope had visited these lands in over 400 years, since before the Reformation. He kissed the ground on arrival at Gatwick airport on the 28 May - a moving start to the occasion. Use the navigation to the left of this page or the buttons below to enjoy the visit all over again.